SHE has been described as a maverick and is by any standards, remarkable.

For more than 30 years, Wendy Houstoun has been an extraordinary force in the dance scene, constantly pushing boundaries and seeking ways in which to express our culture.

Little wonder that she causes something of a stir whenever she tours. And that is what Wendy is doing right now with a new piece called 50 Acts.

Her only date in Yorkshire is here in Huddersfield at the Lawrence Batley Theatre.

Right since it opened its doors, the LBT has championed dance and over the years that has paid off, attracting some of the most exciting performers and choreographers in the dance world.

Wendy is certainly that. She will be on the theatre’s main stage on Wednesday May 22 at 8pm with a piece which she describes as “a spirited retaliation against ageism, apologies and errors, stupidity, techno idiocy and much, much more.”

For this piece, Wendy is writer and performer, bringing her own brand of radicalism to the stage in a declaration of intent and a commitment to action.

50 Acts combines movement with text, and meaning with humour, sometimes dark – and sometimes not…

The show stems from Wendy’s exploration of ideas over the past few years, as she considers the position she finds herself in at 50-plus – an established artist and maker of work in a culture dominated by the new and the emerging.

Ask her about her career and this is what she says:

“I have, by critics and friends, variously been described as louche, rebellious, eccentric, unlikely, a ghost, a fighter, honest, irritating, boring, likeable, warm, daring, brave, vapid, silly, empty, experienced, clever, cerebral, casual, bossy, vulnerable, versatile, witty, courageous, insincere, powerful, a female Bob Dylan, a young Lynn Seymour, a brilliant renaissance woman and a complete amateur.”

So you can perhaps see why even 50 Acts might not be enough in which to bring all these variations of the person and performer to the stage.

But one things for sure, she’ll give it her all in a performance which promises to be exhilarating and one which has already gone down well with the critics.

The piece reflects her life as a performer and maker for a generation of artists, bringing a wealth of experience from her own work alongside her collaborations with artists such as the late Nigel Charnock, Lloyd Newson (DV8), Charlotte Vincent (Vincent Dance Theatre), Rose English, Gary Stevens as well as Tim Etchells, Jonathan Burrows and Matteo Fargion.

Well known as a past performer with DV8, Wendy is committed to experimental movement and text.

Her work challenges preconceptions about movement and communicates clearly and humorously about contemporary culture.

Wendy’s solo pieces, Haunted, Daunted and Flaunted, Happy Hour, and The 48 Almost Love Lyrics have all toured Europe.

She has made two films, Touched and Diary of a Dancer for the BBC and her site-specific commissions include Mind the Gap for the South Bank Centre, Reverse Effect for Cultural Industry and Take Me to the River for the South Bank and Greenwich & Docklands Festival.

Tickets for the show from the LBT box office on 01484 430528 or online at www.thelbt.org.